1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to trailer hitches and more particularly to a trailer hitch of the ball and socket type including lockable members preventing accidental or unauthorized separation of the trailer hitch socket from the hitch ball.
The common and well known means for attaching trailers to towing vehicles comprises a ball secured to the towing bar of the towing vehicle with the ball being received by a trailer hitch socket mounted on the forward end of the trailer tongue. The ball is normally held in the socket by retractable members engaging the lower half surfaces of the ball to prevent separation of the socket and ball until the socket is manually released. Vibration, while traveling, sometimes loosens the trailer hitch socket and permits separation of the socket from the ball thus, as a safety feature, a flexible member, such as a chain, is usually employed for connecting the trailer to the towing vehicle in the event of accidental separation of the trailer hitch components. It is not uncommon for an unauthorized person to disconnect the trailer hitch socket from the trailer hitch ball of unattended parked vehicles and connect the trailer to another vehicle and depart.
This invention provides an apparatus which prevents accidental separation of a trailer hitch socket from a ball while traveling and more importantly acts as a theft deterrent by locking the trailer hitch socket to the ball.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Trailer hitch locking devices, as shown by the prior art, have generally comprised bolt or strap-like devices overlying the trailer hitch socket, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,571,349; 3,237,969; 3,391,555 and 3,884,055. The principal objection to this type of trailer hitch locking device is that the use of a bolt cutter or hacksaw severing a single bolt or strap metal member releases the locking device.
This invention provides a locking device which is not easily thwarted by the user of a bolt cutter, hacksaw, or the like, principally by the mass of the material forming the components of the device.